Bags and packages of the type containing food stuffs are often sealed at the top, leaving a sealed relatively flat portion extending outward from the sealed storage compartment. Potato chip bags, cereal bags, frozen foods, and other food stuffs, as examples, are usually stored in plastic bags that are heat-sealed after being filled, leaving a sealed edge across the width of the top of the bag. Such bags are inconvenient to open easily. Often, the consumer will cut the bag open by cutting through the sealed lip with a scissors or a knife, or attempt to grasp the sides of the bag and pull the sealed edges apart to expose the contents.
Other types of packages, such as pouch-type envelopes, also have openings that can be sealed by means of an adhesive or staples, leaving a sealed edge across the width of the packaging. These kinds of packages are also inconvenient to open easily. Similarly, flat envelopes of the kind used for mailing papers and the like, have sealed edges and are not conveniently opened easily.
The common feature of these types of packaging, when sealed, is the provision of a relatively flat, sealed edge that is not easily opened in a quick and efficient manner.